Realistic or Modern Empire City: The Irish Mob - IC (Closed)

[Bellz]

Gwen Bryant ​

Gwen looked down at her tightly bandaged hand as she sat on the edge of the stage. Rehearsal was due to start any minute and people were only just beginning to file into the room. Divas. Gwen thought to herself. Only in the theater would you seem most of the cast walk in 2 minutes before rehearsal started, they were all on their own time, it seemed. The redhead was just trying to keep it together today, it had been a few days since she used any sort of drug and she was getting antsy for it. After Jason had dropped her off at home, she made a promise to herself to quit as quickly as she could. Jason didn't need to know her business and if it ever came up with the director Gwen wanted to make sure she had the evidence to back up that she wasn't using any longer. Drumming her fingers against her jeans, Gwen watched people file in one by one and some in groups. Most of the cast had been avoiding her, which she didn't take personally given the way Jason and her had been bickering.

Slowly, she hoisted herself up from the edge of the stage to move down the stairs to the floor seats. Her eyes looked towards the doors again and she found herself looking for Jason, wondering if she'd finally scared him off for good, her attention was diverted to the director as she started to speak. "We will be taking it Act One, Scene 10. Jason, Gwen...front and center please." Gwen gave a little sigh. She'd really been hoping that they wouldn't start out with a scene between the two of them but she guessed it was just her luck again.

This was a kissing scene as well, so Gwen was on edge as she approached the stage once more. Each climb up the small staircase seemed to bring her closer and closer to her impending doom. Great.

Script in hand, Gwen moved to turn to the right page when the director cleared her throat and shook her head, "No scripts. We are already a month into this, we are professionals. Away with it, dear." Gwen let out another sigh but nodded her head slowly. "Alright." Not looking behind her, she tossed the script a little too aggressively out of the way. Turning her head, she watched it hit the floor and slide to stage right. Biting her lip, Gwen turned back to both the director and Jason, who took his sweet time getting onto stage before offering a small smile. "Let's do it."

There was a chair in the corner that was placed for Gwen to sit in and a empty bottle of gin beside it, the redhead moved to sit before grabbing the bottle and pretending to take a nice swig of it.
with: Jason Pyroclast

 

[Fletchawk]

Owen Yu​

"Ah," the single word marked the moment Owen realized why Danny had dragged him along with him to make a delivery, "Look, it's groovy that you wanted to get me out of the house, but I'm not really feeling... well... this..." he said gesturing to the crowded house.

He wanted to say he was fine, but he wasn't. Bailey had been first one to offer him assistance after he was on his own, even if it was in the form of food from the diner she worked at the time. He'd been able to scrape together a dollar here or there from running some under the table deliveries, but without any form of legal identification, along with being just a kid, he had to make it last. Bailey's initial kindness had been a godsend, but Owen wasn't one to owe favors, so when Bailey came to him needing eyes and ears, he agreed immediately.

This would evolve into the working relationship they had before her untimely demise; he'd run the occasional delivery, and pass along what information he could from those he overheard while doing his routes. This meant that Owen had spent the better part of a week trying to if he hadn't heard something that led to Bailey's death. Arguably, Owen sitting around the apartment was odd. Even with his ribs still healing, it was rare to see him stay in a particular place for too long, and this caught Danny's attention.

While he wasn't feeling the party, he wasn't going to immediately leave, as he also wanted to lift the heavy fog that been hanging over him since Bailey's death and running wasn't on the menu. Leaving Danny to his work, he moved to the balcony that hung over the entrance to the building. He heard an argument start to break out below him, but since it had little to do with him or Danny, he paid it little mind as he pulled a pulled a near empty pack of cigarettes out. After bumming a light from another party-goer, Owen leaned against the railing, and intended to let his mind wander.


Pyroclast [Danny] Bellz [B.E.C.]

 

[Pyroclast]

Danny Vaughan

It was never long before word of a party got around to Danny, and so he had been anticipating this one as a particularly big one. It was held in a large apartment in the Upper East Side owned by a young business tycoon with a taste for high quality heroin. Managing to make him a regular customer of his was something Danny considered an achievement, and while he didn't much enjoy the man's company he always tried to attend the large parties that he threw. He had a rough idea from the last time he went there of the kind of atmosphere it would have as well as roughly how many people would be attending. All potential customers, of course. While he earned fast money slinging drugs in The Lomax, he was expecting to earn twice as much in a place like this. He knew his employer would be pleased if he managed to move drugs between his shifts, even if the man didn't like him - though he expected he would have something to say about bringing them into such a large venue unprotected from police raids. Nevertheless, it was a risk he was looking forward to taking.

The mood in his apartment back in Hell's Kitchen had been rather solemn after Owen received news of Bailey's death. Danny had never met the woman, but it was obvious she was an important figure in Owen's recent life because he had never seen his friend withdraw from the world for this long. After a week, Danny had had enough. He managed to hype up the party enough to convince Owen to come with him. However reluctant his friend was, Danny was determined to see him have a good time.

"Alright, here we go," Danny grinned as the two approached the building. The neglect that the apartment had begun to suffer was a sign of its owner's escalating drug addiction, yet it was still remarkably in tact. One or two of the windows were smashed and many of its interior walls were now adorned with graffiti, but still it maintained its structural integrity and its overall architectural elegance. Nobody looked out of place there, no matter how they dressed. "Listen, I know this ain't really your scene," he told Owen, giving him a friendly slap on the back as they made their way through the crowd and towards the front steps. "But I promise you, you're about to meet some real interesting people. Tonight is your chance to go wild!"

Before he had even made it through the front door, a young red-faced man already appearing extremely drunk jumped in front of them and asked if they had any cocaine. As soon as Danny told him he was selling, the two found themselves in an exchange. Out of the corner of his eye, Danny caught Owen heading indoors and smiled to himself. At least he was willing to explore on his own - he just hoped his friend wouldn't bail after five minutes. Before he could follow him in, however, something in the crowd behind him shifted and he turned to see what looked like the beginning of a fight. A heavily-built, imposing thuggish-type seemed to be sizing up someone smaller than him. It was none of Danny's business, of course, but the smaller man also appeared to be considerably younger and despite the fearless look on his face, Danny could only imagine the fight ending in one way. After making sure the red-faced man had paid up, he made his way back through the crowd, eyes fixed on the younger man.

"Hey!" he called out to him, putting on an excited tone of voice and a broad smile. "Where'd you get to, man? I've been lookin' all over for you!" He lightly punched the guy on the shoulder as a friend might, and then wrapped his arm tightly around him and proceeded to guide him swiftly out of the crowd. As soon as they were far away enough, he let go and pulled out a pre-rolled joint from his pocket, lighting it up as though nothing had happened. He glanced upwards to see Owen leaning against the railing of the balcony above him and smiled.

Interactions
Bellz Braden
Fletchawk Owen

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd Porter
~ Steve Kelly ~

Once the two had made it to the wing, Steve pulled his mask over his head, adjusting it so that he could see through the eye holes. His eyes were fixed on the blonde girl lying on the stage and he shifted on the spot, impatiently - and perhaps a little nervously - awaiting his cue. "Come on, come on, just fucking do it -"

The scene was growing more tense by the second as Nancy lay stock-still on the stage. There was a long silence, her death being strung out for dramatic effect. It was eerie seeing her there all covered in blood, the rest of the scene frozen as though waiting for the stage photographer to take a shot. As he gaze at her Syd began to grow impatient, wondering if someone had forgotten their cue. Just as he opened his mouth to ask Roxie if she knew what was supposed to be happening, a muted rumble sounded from behind them, causing Syd to turn in his seat. A blood-curdling scream soon followed, and he let go of Roxie's hand to grab the gun from his waistband. The main doors on the ground floor burst open with a bang and the auditorium was instantly filled with flashes of rapid gunfire. Syd leapt from his seat and pulled Farrid and Roxie down with him to take cover. The audience were screaming and desperately trying to get out of the way, all tripping over each other and pushing each other under the seats. For all the chaos, Syd couldn't get a good aim on the attackers without risk of harming a civilian. He could see people running for the fire exits, but they were immediately shot down by more attackers. It looked like every exit on the ground floor was now blocked.

Syd glanced to the stage as a possible alternative exit. One of the stage lights came crashing down, a shower of sparks in its wake - but through it, he caught sight of his cousin. No longer was she lying on the ground but instead struggling awkwardly against a man who appeared to have his arms wrapped tightly around her. Dressed in black, he could have been a crew member, but the mask covering his face and Savannah's terrified expression told him otherwise. The man lifted her up and slung her over his shoulder, but the curtains were drawn shut before Syd could see where he'd taken her.

"Sav -" The fire alarm had begun to ring, audible only between rounds of gunfire, and so at this point Syd could barely hear his own voice. A woman dressed all in black came storming out in front of the curtains, waving her arms at the orchestra and the audience to tell them to get out, but she was soon hit by a torrent of bullets and collapsed into the orchestra pit beneath her. Syd grabbed Roxie by the shoulders. "Roxie, stay down and don't leave the others!" Doubting that she was armed, he hoped she would stay close to Aliana. So many people were getting shot that he wasn't sure how high their chances were of getting out alive, but he wanted nobody slowing him down. He didn't even allow himself time to kiss her goodbye - instead, he launched himself at Peter, sitting a few seats away from him and yelled, "Stage, now!" With no time to waste, he glanced behind him to gauge roughly where the attackers were and then sprinted ahead, leaping onto the stage and under the heavy curtain. The backstage corridors were swarming with cast and crew members trying to flee the scene, but Syd managed to push through them, no longer caring if anyone was hurt in the process. All he cared about was finding Savannah.

"God, I should have knocked her out first!" Steve complained as he fought to keep Savannah in his grip. Once her feet were back on the ground, he grabbed her by the collar and pinned her against the side of the car. The back of his hand collided with her cheek with such force that her skin tore and began to bleed. A bullet hit the car door, causing Steve to spin round. He pulled out his gun and shot back once before opening the boot and throwing Savannah inside. His partner was already inside and waiting for him - Steve rounded the car, keeping a trained eye on his attacker as he jumped into the passenger seat. "Now!"

Syd moved fast, ducking between parked cars until he reached his own. He leapt into the driver's seat and started the engine. So focused on not letting the kidnappers out of his sight, he had forgotten that he wasn't alone.

Interactions
Misty Gray Luke, Savannah
Bellz Peter, Roxie

Inb4Cloaker Farrid
Melanin-Gxdess Aliana
RayPurchase Mitch

 

[Misty Gray]

Savannah Callahan
~ Luke Holland ~​

The two cast members seemed to be taking far too long to simply walk on stage and speak their only two lines. Still, Savannah knew to remain patient and continue to play dead. She instead thought about how well the performance had gone, having been most nervous about the evening's show than any of the others. Knowing her family were in the audience watching had put more pressure on her to not mess up. Even seeing her parents smiling at her as she danced hadn't managed to put her off. Nor had Emery's dorky thumbs up gestures. All in all, Savannah was feeling happy with herself and was excited to hear what her loved ones really thought.

Something wasn't right, however. She felt someone grab her by the arm, her immediate thoughts were that she was being helped to her feet but that wasn't meant to happen in the play. She would get to her feet once the curtains had temporarily closed to switch to the next scene. She opened her eyes and looked up to the masked man standing over her. He wasn't part of the cast or crew, so she pulled her arm away to resist. Now she was sat up, he was been able to grab her by the hair and force her to stand. Given everything she knew about her family, her instinct was to scream and alert them that she was in danger. She screamed out before the man grabbed at her, briefly holding too tight around her ribs, causing her to fall silent and instead take a stained gasp for air. As his arms remained tightly wrapped around her from behind, she struggled against him, trying to dig her elbow into his stomach. Trying anything.

As she was thrown over Steve's shoulder and dragged away, the sound of gunfire continued to fill the theatre. It wasn't enough that she was terrified about what was happening to her, but she feared for her loved ones too. Experience told her this wasn't random and that made it all the more worrying. "Let go of me!" she protested. Tears streamed down her face as she continued to struggle, hitting her abductor at every opportunity. "STOP! PLEASE!" she loudly yelled, kicking her legs to make it more difficult for him.

Soon they were outside and Savannah still resisted as Steve put her down. Feeling her feet finally on the ground, she collected all of the strength she had in order to fight through her fear so she could look up to the man's masked face. "Just let me go. I haven't do--" she began to desperately plead with him. Before she could finish, the man's knuckles connected harshly with her face. She cried out in pain and brought her hand to her cheek, the blood now real. She flinched as she heard more gunshots around her. By now she was trembling, fearful for what was going to happen to her. Before the shock could take over her, she was then bundled into the boot of the car and the sound of it shutting was accompanied with darkness. Once again, Savannah screamed and protested, even if she knew it was falling on deaf ears. She slammed the palms of her hands against the inside of the car boot and kicked her feet against the sides. Accepting it was futile and that she was hurting herself, she eventually stopped. She soon realised how trapped and alone she was which caused her to break out into loud, desperate sobs.


Luke had watched Steve dragging the girl out of the theatre before hitting her and dragging her into the boot. His partner eventually rounded the car and jumped into the passenger seat. Luke tossed his own gun onto the dashboard before putting his foot down on the accelerator and speeding off down the street. "You always did know how to pick up the ladies," Luke drily remarked whilst checking his rear-view mirror to see if they were being followed. As he heard Savannah's muffled cries, he let out a long whistle. "It'll probably take that one a while to shut up. She's got a real set of lungs on her," he remarked. He'd watched the show twice over the last few days, using the time in the theatre to scope the place out to help plan the attack.

Pyroclast (Steve)
Pyroclast (Syd) Bellz (Roxie, Peter)

 

[Inb4Cloaker]

Farrid Al-Assad​

Plays were never really his style, but Farrid had agreed to visit this one on part of it being rude to decline an invite from his boss, and on part of Syd saying that it may be a good way to see new things. Along with a temporary escape from the mourning that he was still struggling with. The sight of Roxie next to Syd didn’t bother Assad all that much, even when the two made romantic gestures, as he knew that his own loss would be centered around himself, and his own small triggers that brought back memories of the woman. As it stood, he would occasionally see her in the distance, or through the dirtied windows of abandoned buildings. If he was having a particularly bad day, he’d see her, or his colleagues from the past, much closer. Her passing only served as a way to amplify his problems, and between that, the letters he had been receiving from Iraq, and the need to temporarily escape some nights by drinking himself to sleep, he wasn’t doing the best.

What am I to become now that you are gone? He’d ask himself late at night in his apartment, eyes fixated on the cracked door to her room, where he had tried to enter a few times since the incident, but had since retreated away from before he could so much as set a step through the door. Instead, he was forced to cower away in the bottom of a bottle, as though he might discover ghosts or abnormalities that would permanently damn his mind to hell. His situation wasn’t much different from a scared child hiding away from the monsters in his closet. The question was, would he be able to face the very monsters he feared before they were ready to face him down again, like they had time and time again during his stay in the East?

A nudge from Syd washed away his doubts in that moment, and Assad realized he was staring at the bottom of the stage, rather than the act itself. Quickly readjusting himself, he gave a weak nod and replied.

“Yeah, I’m... I’m making it. The play is good, I still don’t like crowded places like this though, I wish this could’ve been a little more private.” With his own response, Farrid felt a bit of his worried, but less solemn self return to himself. Using the momentum to hold off his thoughts of the death he endured, he glanced around the theatre and rubbed one of his eyes, surveying for anything out of the ordinary. Of course, he didn’t find anything, but between the acting on stage and the need to look at his surroundings, Assad felt slightly better.

Something that did catch the medics eye, however, was the sight of Mitch on one of the top boxes. He liked and respected the man, but he couldn’t help but sense that there was something going on between him and Syd recently. While he was unable to accurately identify what it was, Farrid felt as though it wasn’t good or friendly. He may be able to find out by asking one of the two later, or maybe Roxie, since they seemed to be spending time with one another.

For a whopping total of seven seconds, Assad focused his entire problem solving capacity to figure out what was wrong with the image he just painted in his head, and what the possible cause of discontent between the parties was. Slowly, but surely, the medic started to put the pieces together, and realization dawned on him. Had recent circumstances not occurred, he would find it pretty humorous. Turning away from the box above him and looking out over the stage, he observed as the scene was drug out longer than anticipated. Knowing that Syd was growing impatient, he leaned slightly closer and whispered.

“It’s just for dramatic effect, I think, just hold tight for a... what was that?” The prior insurgent turned his head to follow Syds gaze. Seconds after the doors burst open and gunfire erupted, Farrid found himself pushed to the ground in a confused daze. It didn’t take long for him to figure out that they were under attack, and his own hand snaked down to withdraw his Browning sidearm. What did confuse, and thoroughly piss Farrid off, was the fact that they were taking shots at unaffiliated civilians who were trying to flee.

When Syd took off after whoever abducted Sav, Farrid racked the slide of his pistol and started to drag injured people behind the minimal cover the seats provided. He couldn’t render care until the threat was stopped, so after he brought a few people to safety, he looked over at Roxie and rolled his eyes, hitting the seat with his pistol.

“God, I should’ve stayed in Syria.” Was the last thing he said before hopping over the seat, bound and determined to stop the gunmen from shooting at the unarmed civilians who surrounded him. As the medic pushed from cover to cover discreetly, he used the chaos to get closer until he was able to dispatch shots at the assailants without striking civilians. He waited for a lapse in gunfire, a sign that they were reloading, and barely peaked between the seats before returning fire towards the opposing force.

أرواح بريئة ضائعة

Mentions: Mitch RayPurchase
Interactions: Roxie Bellz Syd Pyroclast
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​

 

[Misty Gray]

Sinead and Emery Callahan
~ Front Row ~
​

As soon as the first sounds of bullets ripping throughout the auditorium were heard, Sinead yelped in shock. It was all too familiar a noise... too familiar a story to her. People around the theatre were panicking, only adding to the redhead's fear. Her instinct was to get down onto the ground and duck for cover, dragging Emery down with her to shield her youngest child. "Peter! Ali!" she frantically called, hoping the two sitting nearest to her had also taken cover. Then, she heard a familiar voice scream out and immediately recognised it as Savannah. "Savvy?!" she worriedly asked, kneeling back up in time to see her eldest child being dragged away. "NO! SAVVY!" she screamed, fumbling up onto her feet, forgetting the danger of being hit by a bullet as her mind was taken over by the need to protect her daughter.

"Fuck. Fuck..." Emery muttered as she took deep breaths to keep calm. From her position on the floor, she caught Aliana's eyes before looking back down to where Sinead's handbag had been set down on the wooden floor. After barely any second thoughts, Emery began rooting through her mother's handbag before retrieving the small firearm she knew Sinead reluctantly carried with her on the insistence of their family. Seeing Aliana had her own firearm, Emery kept hold of the pistol.

As Syd told Peter to join him, Sinead took her husband's hand and was about to tell him she was going with them. "No, Mum!" Emery protested, pulling her mother's hand away from her father. Though the situation was daunting and scary, Emery didn't allow herself to let it take over her. Knowing how gentle yet anxious her mother was, she knew the woman would be panicking in the situation. It was the need to reassure her mother that helped Emery find her own strength. Still, she chose to mask it for the moment, instead choosing to take inspiration from Savannah and do a little acting. "Mum, please don't leave me here alone. I'm scared. I need you too," she said, pulling an upset face. "Please stay with me," she said, looking wide-eyed to Sinead as she allowed her bottom lip to tremble.

"Okay, baby," Sinead said, ducking back down and placing her arm around Emery's shoulder to reassure her. "Please... Find her, Peter!" Sinead called out to her husband. Emery back up her mother's words with a look to Peter that told him to get back safe and with Savannah. As more bullets were heard, Sinead flinched again before looking to Aliana. She took rapid, deep breaths as she tried to shift the anxiety that was overcoming her having just seen Savannah being dragged away. It was difficult to get past worrying about Savannah to fully comprehend the danger they were all still in at the theatre.

As Sinead struggled to hold back the anxiety, both struggling to breathe and to stop herself from shaking, the position seemed to shift to Emery being the one with her arm reassuringly around her mother. Deciding she was going to be keeping hold of the gun, Emery looked to Aliana for support. The continued gunfire caused Emery to tighten her jaw, wishing she could just stand up and fire back at those attacking everyone in the theatre. Instead, she urged Aliana or one of the others still with them to tell her what to do next...

Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana) Bellz (Peter)

Warren Taylor
~ Front Row ~​

Having seen the play enough times when being Savannah's security at her rehearsals, Warren hadn't been paying much attention to the acting on stage. Instead, he'd been keeping an eye on the family seated to the right of him, as well as casting the odd glances up tot he private box where his brother, James, was seated. So when the gunfire started, Warren was quick to duck behind his seat and hadn't hesitated to retrieve his gun before holding it out in front should he spot any of the shooters. Using the seating to keep taking cover, he managed to fire a few return shots before his attention was drawn to Syd and any others who were making a run towards the stage to find Savannah. Warren took his position, covering them so they wouldn't get shot making their run for the stage.

A bullet grazed the top of his arm, ripping through his shirt but not causing any damage worth thinking about in the present situation. He looked to Farrid who was doing his own part in firing shots at the enemy to try protect the civilians. Warren glanced to to the private box where two Porter guards were also taking shots, before looking towards the box James was in. With Savannah, Emery and Aliana nearby, he was initially reluctant to stray too far from them. "Stay down," he said, his words directed to the Callahan ladies more than Aliana, who looked a little more comfortable with having a gun in her hand.

Warren deliberated, before deciding Aliana and the cover from the boxes would be enough for the Callahans for the time-being. There were more assailants towards the rear of the theatre who needed taking down before they could advance closer to the front row. Farrid was doing a good job at holding his own, but Warren decided to give the man some support. A part of him could only imagine how much strain the grieving man was already under, but he figured the adrenaline of the present situation would be enough to keep Farrid focused. Still, he wanted to give the man some support in taking down the gunmen. Following suit, Warren used the seating to provide temporary cover as he made his way further down the theatre, getting closer to where Farrid was before firing a shot in the throat of one of the attackers.

Meanwhile, Aliana would catch sight of another masked gunman advancing towards where she, Sinead and Emery were...

Inb4Cloaker (Farrid) Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana)

​

 

[Bellz]

Peter Callahan
Roxie Carriveau ​

Peter didn't like seeing his little girl on the floor covered in blood. The image wasn't sitting well with him and the man was physically moving in his seat as he waited for the heavy and dramatic scene to be over with. Just when he thought the scene was moving on Peter heard something he couldn't place before a scream followed afterwards. Peter was already out of his seat and as the doors flew open and gunfire entered the room, the man moved towards Sinead and Emery to cover them, "Get down!" He shouted at them. A cool rush of adrenaline filled him as another scream was heard over the gunfire and Peter whipped his head up in the direction that Sinead was now looking. "FUCK!" Peter gasped out as he scrambled to his feet. "SAVANNAH!"

Syd called for him to follow him and immediately he was about to rush over after the man when Sinead's hand stopped him. Turning towards her abruptly, the man was shaking as he shook his head. "You aren't going." He said forcefully before Emery stepped in. "I'll be back!" Peter released his wife's hand and followed in the direction Syd had gone, drawing his weapon as he did so.

He passed Farrid and Roxie and the woman reached out and grabbed Peter quickly. "There is a backdoor to the alleyway!" She'd shown off this venue before for charity events and was quite familiar with the lay out. Peter nodded his head but was quick to brush the woman off. "I'm coming with you." She demanded and Peter didn't have any other time to argue with her. Instead, he pulled her up by the arm and guided her towards the stage while covering her as best as he could. The two climbed up the stairs towards the stage and under the curtain. The cast and crew were running around trying to get out and they were headed right into the gunfire. "The backdoor! Use the backdoors!"Roxie shouted at them and a few of the actors looked like they had just remembered they had one.

Peter shoved people out of the way while Roxie told them where to escape to. Suddenly, bullets flew right past the pair and hit the all black wall in front of them just beside the door. Someone had made it behind the curtain and was now open firing into backstage. Roxie gasped and ducked down towards the ground while Peter spun around and met the man with his own gun firing. Peter ducked behind a prop and Roxie scrambled out the backdoor but not before the back of her calf was grazed with a bullet flying past her and out the door. "Ow!" She cried out before rolling into the dirty alleyway. Once the door closed, Roxie fell back against it holding her leg. Wildly, she looked around her to figure out if all of this was real or not.

Peter ducked out from behind a prop and shot two shots into the man's chest before he ran towards the backdoor. Pushing on it harshly, Roxie fell forward towards the ground. "Shit!" He hissed out, "What are you doing?!" He demanded as she sat on the floor. It didn't take him very long to see that she was bleeding. Growling out, he took the woman's hand and pulled her up before asking, "Can you walk?" Roxie tested her leg by putting weight on it, it stung but she would live. "Let's go." Peter said before carrying on forward, helping Roxie as best as he could as he made it towards Syd's car.

Once there, he opened the passenger door for Roxie before sliding into the back. "Which direction were they headed? did you see?" Peter asked frantically.
with: Syd Pyroclast
mentions: Savannah, Sinead, Emery Misty Gray [/B]

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter​

James smirked at Mitch's response about the opposing recommendation his lawyer-self and his theatre-going-self would give in relation to murdering Bill Sykes. "I guess I'll just let the actors deliver the justice," he remarked. He hadn't seen the play before or read the books. Before this evening, he just knew the basic storyline about the orphaned boy and a gang of kids led by some old crook. The ending was still a mystery to him.

Mitch went on to show his gratitude for the invitation to be seated in the private box. It had been much pricier than the seats in the stalls, but given his own reputation in the city, he didn't want to invite confrontation, nor did he want his presence to distract at all from his niece's performance. His family deserved a normal evening out, for a change. "Hey, maybe I'll take you up on that offer," James said, on mention of a home cooked meal. "How many dogs can we bring with us?" he joked at the mention of Mitch's cupboards containing dog food.

The calm atmosphere was very quickly cut short as the gunshots and panicked screaming suddenly filled the theatre. James sprang up to his feet and automatically grabbed one of his pistols, bringing it into view. He looked back to Lucy and Mitch, briefly placing a firm hand on his wife's shoulder to reassure her. Keeping his gun held out in front and ready to fire, he walked in front so he could look over the balcony and down to the crowd below. "Rebel. Kirk. Check the corridor outside is secure. Carefully," he called back to his two guards, making sure to keep his voice level.

There were too many panicked screams and voices for James to have picked out Savannah's, but he did hear Sinead's particularly high-pitched screaming of Savannah's name. This was soon followed by Syd, Peter and apparently even Roxie rushing beyond the stage, presumably to help his niece. James noticed the bullet hit Warren's arm, but his brother seemed to be unaffected by an evidently minor wound. Still, James traced the source of the bullet to a gunman standing just below the balcony of the private box. James didn't give a second thought before putting a bullet in the back of the guy's skull. Looking across to the private box on the opposite side of the theatre, James saw his two guards taking aim with their long-ranged weapons. He looked to the front row again, seeing Sinead, Aliana and Emery still taking cover. James backed away from the balcony for a moment to check on the others. "Luce, love..." he began. He was about to explain what he'd seen, but was sure she'd see it all for herself.

James retrieved the second pistol from inside his jacket and held it out to Mitch. "I don't expect you to start shooting guys right and centre, but you might want to keep this on you nonetheless. It might be your only option if one of those fuckers corners you," he offered. Feeling useless from his current position, James wanted to get out of the small seating area they were in and down into the stalls where he could better assist the others.

Meanwhile, after being instructed to check the corridor, Rebel and Kirk heard gunshots from outside the door. This was followed by a loud thud as the Porter guard lost the gunfight and collapsed on the floor. If Rebel dared to open the door for a peek, she would see four masked gunmen advancing towards the door of the private box they were in.



Bellz (Lucy, Rebel) RayPurchase (Mitch)

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Seeing Savvy on the ground, blood surrounding her sent brief flashbacks through her mind. Holding Leo after he had been killed. It was strange, seeing as the two were nothing alike and this was just a play, not real life. The young girl who was secretly her favorite niece was alive and this was all just pretend. Well, if it was just pretended then why oh why were there screaming and gunshots? Hearing the first one, Ali had pulled Sinead to the ground, yelling at her to stay put. Her hand immediately ran up her thigh to retrieve the gun that she always had strapped. It was a long time ago that she had learned to keep a weapon on her any time she left her home and this situation was proving her why. Peaking from the cover of the seats, she was trying her best to dodge bullets and find out how many assailants there were. That was when she saw the man grab Savannah and hear her name being called.

Turning her attention to Sinead, she quickly reached out and grabbed for her, watching as Peter and Syd ran out with Roxie in an attempt to retrieve his sister. "Stop!" She yelled, bringing Sinead and Emery in closer to her. At the moment, she was doing her best to keep herself and her family alive while trying to think of an exit plan. "Listen, look at me okay?" Hearing a shot go off so close to them she winced and tried to calm her erratic breathing. Passing out from hyperventilation was not going to help in this current situation. "We are getting out of here, we are getting Sav back and we are going to be okay. I need you to keep calm and trust me, the both of you." She looked back between mother and daughter, the fear very much apparent on their faces.

She went back to her plan, trying to figure out how she was going to get them out of there. It wasn’t until she saw a masked assailant that she quickly acted at fired her weapon; two in the chest one in the stomach. That’s when she knew she had to think faster. “Warren! I have to get them out of here and now!” Ali would be fine, she had spent numerous numbers of days doing nothing but practicing her shooting. She didn’t know how well Em and Sinny would do in this and she wasn’t going to try and test it out. Glancing at the gun in Emery’s hand, she made her focus and went through a crash course on the weapon, in case she was never taught. “Em, I’m counting on you with that gun, okay? Safety off. You aim for the chest and the head. He doesn’t go down, you shoot until he does.” She instructed, showing her all while talking. Granted she may run out of bullets, but Ali wasn’t counting on the younger woman having to use it. Hearing a bullet whiz pass her hair, narrowly missing her ear she gasped and turned towards the source, and shot again. That was her second close call and she wasn’t in the market for another.​

 

[RayPurchase]

Mitchell Van Gerwen
​

“Well Rex doesn’t mind sharing his food so th...”

His niceties were cut off dead in their tracks as the theatre erupted into chaos, screams and gunfire erupted, echoing throughout the chamber in a twisted cacophony. For what felt like an age Mitch merely sat there, his fight flight response perfectly balanced and so doing nothing. Time seemed to slow, and the sound of the gunfire and screams muted, as if someone had placed a pillow over his ears. Somewhere deep inside of him a voice was crying out in desperate fear, to run, hide, fight, or just do something. A louder and far more sensible voice was speaking over it, this was all just a bad dream, or a hallucination, or countless over more palatable truths. Perhaps he should just stay here, the seat was comfy, and besides he wasn’t even sure he could feel his legs at the moment, like 2 roots pinning him in place.

Through the haze that clouded his mind he became aware of a figure coming towards him offering him something. Not really hearing he extended his hand and took the...gun.

Like a flick being switched the feel of cold metal in his hand brought him roaring back into the present, the noise coming back to full volume and at the same time his face drained of colour. Christ it was heavy, he'd never held a pistol, and the thing was deceptively small, but it seemed to weigh as much as a block of lead. Just like the glass of wine his finger began to tap against the side of it, just above the trigger guard. He dragged himself from his seat, his arm fully extended with the pistol, as if trying to keep it as far away from himself as humanly possible, and was in a sort of half crouch, wincing occasionally at the sound of gunfire. The thud outside the door had his eyes flicking to the door, his right hand tightening around the pistol grip for a semblance of comfort, which it didn’t really provide. This was a warzone, and he had no place being here.

"Right so what's the plan? Fight our way out? No they'll mow us down in the corridor. Jump off the booth? Little cover and could just break our ankles on landing. Stay here? Fine until they just start spraying the box from below..."

He began to mutter away under his breath, both his mind and mouth racing without control.

(In the box: Misty Gray James, Bellz Lucy)

 

[Misty Gray]

Sinead and Emery Callahan
Warren Taylor
​

Sinead's eyes were fixed on Aliana as her friend tried to reassure her they would get Savannah back. The redhead took in a deep, strained breath as for a time she'd forgotten to breathe at all. As much as she knew she shouldn't, Sinead couldn't help but expect the worst. In her experience, the worst often happened. Her family and friends were losing loved ones, so it seemed highly likely she would lose her daughter too. "She's just so innocent and gentle. She doesn't deserve this. My baby will be so scared," Sinead explained. "I never told her--"

"Mum. Shut up!" Emery firmly berated her mother. "She's coming back, alright?" As the teenager spoke, she gently rubbed Sinead's back to give her comfort. "Right now, we've got to get ourselves out of this place in one piece, so you need to take deep breaths and concentrate. It pisses me off that you forget how strong you are. I know you've survived worse than this."

*****​

When Aliana shouted his name, Warren looked back to where the three women were. After taking some time to survey his surroundings, he slowly nodded his head back to the woman. Most of the gunmen seemed to be positioned in the rear of the auditorium, presumably so they could prevent people from escaping through the main entrance. He focused on the stage, where Savannah had been dragged away and where the others had chased after her kidnappers. Surprisingly, the stage was seemingly the part of the theatre with the least action.

Deciding to go back on himself, Warren signalled to the two guards up in one of the private boxes. To make best use of their higher vantage point, James had them bring long ranged weapons. "Cover me," he shouted, pointing to one of the men. "And you, keep covering them," he told the other, before pointing towards the three women. Warren then rushed towards the stage, all the while holding his gun ready to fire. Once on the stage, he stood by the curtains and peered through a gap to see if there was still any movement behind them. When he was sure there were no nasty surprises waiting on the other side, he continued backstage, cringing slightly as he noticed some injured crew members being helped by others. "It's okay," he reassured them, realising him holding a gun might not look at all friendly. After being assured there were no gunmen around, Warren continued on towards the exit that led onto the street where Savannah had been bundled into a car and driven away. It looked like Peter, Syd and Roxie had met minimal resistance when giving chase to the kidnappers. Syd's car was gone and none of them were lying dead or injured. He could hear distant sirens but his lack of trust in the cops meant he didn't feel any safer knowing they would be on the scene.

*****​

Sinead watched on as Aliana showed Emery how to use the gun. She didn't like her daughter holding the weapon and certainly wasn't happy imagining the teenager using it. Sinead had been shown many times how to use the weapon. Back in Chicago, James had first shown her how to use a gun. Since then, Peter and some of the others had made her practice. Her aim was great, which surprised everyone. She knew how to use a gun, but she simply didn't want to. She found the weapons to be crude and standing in defiance of the peace she yearned for. However, when her family were at risk, she knew there wasn't time to moral high ground. She was about to snatch the gun from Emery's hand and deny the girl of been dragged into their family's darkness. However, as she looked at her own trembling hand, she realised her anxiety was getting in the way of clear thought. She knew she would end up missing a target or even freezing up before squeezing the trigger. She hated herself for letting Emery keep hold of the weapon, but she knew her daughter looked more comfortable with the gun in her hand.

"Hmm. Alright," Emery said, listening to Aliana's instructions. She nodded her head to confirm she was taking the woman's words seriously. She figured it was best to go along with the idea she'd never touched a gun before. Not only to avoid a lecture from her parents, but simply to make sure she was taking everything seriously so she wouldn't mess up. If she wanted to join the family business, she knew acting responsibly under extreme pressure could only work in her own favour. "The chest and the head. Got it," she confirmed to Aliana.

Warren soon joined the three women and crouched down beside them. Farrid and the others seemed to be doing a good job at keeping the remaining gunmen from advancing deeper into the theatre, but that didn't mean he was going to take any chances. "The backstage exit is clear, so we're getting you all out that way. We've got two guys covering us from above, but we all stick close together." He looked directly to Aliana. "One of us two will lead and the other will cover our backs. Keeping Sinead and Em shielded at all times. Lead or cover... Have you got a preference, Ali?" he offered the woman. She seemed like the most able and experienced of the three women, but essentially it was her choice if she wanted to help him get the Callahans out or if she wanted helping herself. "Whatever you're comfortable with, of course?" he quickly added.

Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana)
Mention: Inb4Cloaker (Farrid)

​

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd Porter
~ Steve Kelly ~

Steve let out a mischievous laugh when Luke joked about his talent for picking up women. "I'd be nowhere without my wingman," he playfully replied, turning in his seat to see how far away their pursuer was. There was currently only one car between them - not that it would deter Steve from trying to fire their way. It was hard to speed through Midtown Manhattan, but at least the obstacles could work in their favour. They just had to be attentive and creative to avoid getting gridlocked.

Adding to the distraction was the sound of their hostage wailing from the boot of the car, which Luke drew attention to with a light comment. Steve threw his head back and groaned loudly. "SHUT UP, YOU LIL' BITCH!" he roared. He was competing with a lot of noise and knew that his shouting would, if anything, only make her cry harder, but he didn't care. Twisting round to kneel on his seat, Steve wound down the passenger window and leaned out of it with his pistol in hand. Two shots were released, and then another - Steve was sure his aim was accurate but he didn't seem to be doing the damage he intended. "Fuck me, Luke - they've got a bullet-proof windshield," he huffed, pulling himself back in to take momentary cover. There were two cars between them now, but they weren't far behind. A little frustrated but in no mood to give up, Steve leaned out of the window once again and shot once into the driver's seat of the car behind him. It swerved wildly into the side of the street, knocking down several pedestrians before crashing into the porch steps of an apartment building. Everything behind them appeared to halt, caught up in the mess he had created. Steve once again settle back into his seat with a satisfied chuckle and lifted his mask up to his forehead. "Whew," he exhaled, opening the glove box in search of more bullets. "Man, this thing is itchier than my grandma's bedspread."


Syd almost had his foot on the accelerator when the door behind him opened. Glancing in his rearview mirror, he caught sight of Roxie and his jaw dropped open. She wasn't supposed to be there - staying at the theatre was highly dangerous, but at least she would have people there to protect her. The idea of her accompanying him on an unplanned rescue mission, in an unknown location to confront an unknown enemy only added to the stress of the situation. As far as he knew, she wasn't armed and since he was well aware they could be heading straight into a trap, he wasn't sure he would be able to protect her. The last thing Syd wanted was to put more lives at risk. "Peter, what the hell are you thinking?!" Too stressed to answer his uncle's question and not waiting for either of them to settle in properly, Syd set his attention on the kidnapper's car and put his foot down, meandering between parked cars until he was out on the road.

"Damn Saturday nights," he muttered to himself, gritting his teeth as more cars threatened to get in their way. Syd spotted one of the masked men lean his gun out the window and suddenly three bullets ricocheted off the windscreen. Nothing penetrated the glass, but he still flinched. "Don't hit the boot, Savvy's in there," he told Peter, assuming the man would want to shoot back. Even with so much to concentrate on, he couldn't stop himself from beginning to worry about Roxie. "You alright back there?" he called back to her, trying not to sound as stressed out as he felt.

Suddenly one of the cars in front of him swung over to the right and crashed into a crowd of pedestrians, prompting all surrounding vehicles to come to a screeching halt. Syd let out a string of profanity under his breath, watching as their target disappeared into a sea of traffic up ahead. Without regard for the other drivers on the road, Syd backed up into the car behind him to create space to turn and then quickly took off down a narrow side street. "Don't worry, we're not gonna lose them, I promise." Despite the conviction in his tone, he was partly trying to win against his own fear that the captors would get away. As an experienced driver, he had a good sense of direction and so knew this part of Manhattan well. There was only one road Savannah could be taken down from there and even though it was a risk to let them out of his sight, it had to be better than waiting for the road to clear.

Once they were back on a main road, he could see them in the distance, going at a surprisingly moderate speed. "Where are you leading us, you bastards..." Syd muttered. It seemed suspicious to him, but he slammed his foot on the accelerator nonetheless, weaving between cars until they were on their tail.

Interactions
Misty Gray Luke, Savannah
Bellz Peter, Roxie

 

[Misty Gray]

Savannah Callahan
~ Luke Holland ~​

It wasn't the first time Luke had driven at speed through the city and he was sure it wouldn't be the last. It wasn't too difficult for him to weave around the traffic. Usually, it was the idiotic pedestrians who decided they needed to cross the road at the same time he wished to jump the red light. Still, they were easy enough to dodge, even if an annoyance. For a short time he slipped into the wrong side of the road, taking advantage of the lighter traffic before eventually nipping back to the side he should have been driving on. He glanced into the rear-view mirror, a small smirk showing itself as the Porter vehicle was in sight with one car between them.

Luke chuckled when Steve yelled for Savannah to be quiet. The crying didn't cease on the man's order. Instead, Luke took a moment to hum along to the tune of one of the songs he recalled from Oliver! "Pip! Pip! Cheerio! We'll be back soon..." he calmly sang along. The sound of gunfire silenced him and he briefly turned to Steve as the man began shooting at the cars behind them. "Fancy bastards," he commented, upon hearing the Porters' had a bulletproof windshield. Luke once again looked into his mirror to see the car behind swerve, running into pedestrians before cashing into some steps. He was fully aware it was Steve's shooting that had caused the random car to smash into the apartment steps.

Luke continued driving and listened to Steve as the man spoke whilst retrieving more bullets. "Steady on, pal. Shoot to piss 'em off, but don't be killing the pricks," he reminded his friend. Glancing into the rear-view mirror, he noticed the Porters were no longer in view. "Bollocks. The dumb bastards lost us!" he complained. He stopped speeding through the city and drove at a more acceptable speed, all the while looking out for the car in question. Eventually he sighted the Porters' car join them back on the main road and he flashed a pleased grin. "Alright. We're back in business!" he happily exclaimed.

Luke picked up his speed again, making sure to keep things challenging for the Porters whilst maintaining a safe enough distance. He didn't want to lose them, after all. The chase was eventually taken into Hell's Kitchen and Luke focused on getting them to the intended destination. As the demolition site came into view, Luke picked up his speed again, making sure to buy them a little time to get out of the car and ready for their guests.

The drive over the uneven road leading into the building site was a bumpy one, but Luke kept his foot on the gas before eventually screeching to a halt alongside the empty shell of the building that was in the process of being demolished. Willing to be seen by the Porters, he decided not to bother picking his mask up from wherever he'd tossed it earlier. Luke grabbed his gun and rushed out of the car, expecting Steve to follow suit. He then rounded the back of the vehicle and flipped open the lid of the car boot. Savannah's sobbing continued but had quietened down. The two men were met with the sight of the shaking young woman curled up in a tight ball. Not trusting the blonde, Luke grabbed the back of her head by the hair and pressed the butt of his gun into the side of her skull. "You gave my friend a bit of a hard time back there. No more kicking and whining, unless you want a bullet in your pretty little head," he coldly warned Savannah. The man kept hold of her hair, pulling her towards him as he forced her to climb out of the car herself. After some fumbling, Savannah's feet eventually touched the ground. The blonde was unsteady with her legs feeling like jelly. Luke pushed her towards Steve, expecting the man to catch her, and then held his hand out to his friend to invite him to get the woman into the empty building. Meanwhile, he kept tight hold of his gun as he anticipated the arrival of their guests.

Savannah looked a mess, with her forehead still covered in smudged fake blood from the play, whilst her cheek and neck were stained with real blood. Her tears continued to dilute the red liquid, causing it to spread even further along her skin. She sniffled as she felt herself shaking. Her cheekbone still throbbed from being hit, whilst her body ached from being bundled into the car boot and thrown about during the car chase. She didn't know what they were going to do to her, but she was terrified of all the thoughts that entered her mind. She felt so alone, wishing for her parents in that moment. The thought of her mother and father hugging her tightly evoked further tears from the young woman. They'd always known how to make her feel stronger and safer. She tried to speak up to the two awful men, but was for a time prevented from doing so as she choked back her tears. Eventually, she regained control and managed to speak, even if her voice still faltered. "Why are you doing this to me? Just let me go now..." She was sure they were going to kill her, no doubt for some kind of revenge or attack on her family. She hoped they'd see sense and realise just taking her could be enough to hurt her family. But she also knew her family's enemies weren't usually known for mercy.


Pyroclast (Steve)
Pyroclast (Syd) Bellz (Roxie, Peter)

 

[Pyroclast]

Spoiler: Trigger Warning

Sexual harassment

Syd Porter
~ Steve Kelly ~

"Yeah, yeah, no killing, got it," he responded as he reloaded his gun. While deep down he took his job seriously, Steve would almost consider a job wasted if he didn't enjoy himself in the process. Being chased by the infamous Irish Mob was like a game of Cat and Mouse to him, as though kidnapping and harming Savannah was simply a way of winding them up. Even with bullets being fired their way, Steve couldn't help but laugh at the thought of how angry, and even afraid, the Porters would be at that moment.

When Luke alerted him to the fact that the Porters were no longer following them, Steve spun round to peer through the rear window. He briefly saw the mess he had created, the halted vehicles and gathering crowds, but could no longer make out their pursuer behind it. "Damn, I didn't mean to lose 'em..." he sighed, finally pulling off his mask completely and scratching his head. "Can we slow down or something, let the motherfuckers catch us up?" Steve kept a close eye on their surroundings as Luke continued to drive away from the scene, half expecting to be fired at from any direction. Thankfully, his partner spotted them before that could happen, and Steve laughed with relief and excitement. He kept a trained eye on them and raised his gun in preparation. "'Course they're driving a fucking Lincoln," he scoffed. "When's our boss gonna give us one of those?" Leaning out of the window once again, his hair now blowing out in front of him, he took a shot at the grill. After another couple of attempts, he managed to destroy one of the front headlights. "Ha! Not so perfect anymore..."

Once they had reached the demolition site, Steve saw no point in putting his mask back on. Instead, he followed Luke in getting out of the car. As the man grabbed hold of Savannah and made his threats, Steve took the time to stretch, cracking his knuckles as though impatient to get going. He caught her with ease, keeping a tight grip on her as he hauled her roughly over to the building. Once inside, he began scanning the room for something to tie her to, but was interrupted when the young woman spoke up. "Now why would we do that? We haven't got what we want yet," he replied to her with a broad smile. "Don't you know how this goes, pretty girl?" For a moment he stopped searching the room and instead brought a hand up to pull her face towards him, fingernails digging into her cheeks. Her face was covered in blood, a strange mixture of fake and real. Still keeping a tight grip on her, Steve pushed her against a nearby wall and began to fiddle with his belt buckle as he slowly closed in on her. "God, I know I said she was prettier in person but man...you don't get the full picture 'til you're up close like this."


It didn't surprise Syd to be lead out of the busier part of the city and onto a demolition site. In fact, despite the dodgy location, he was relieved that there would be fewer civilians around. Enough innocent people had been caught up in their feud and while he didn't have time to dwell on it at present, he would still rather minimise the casualties. Parking his damaged car a short yet safe distance from the entrance, Syd then turned in his seat to face Roxie and Peter and exhaled. "I don't know what's waiting for us in there, so let's not go in guns blazing, alright? They want to negotiate, I'm sure." He reached down and blindly unfastened a hidden compartment under his seat. When he turned back to face them, he held a PA-15 in his hand. "Roxie, you wanna take this?" There was a deadly serious look in his eyes as he tried not to show his concern for her. At this point, Syd didn't know if leaving her outside alone was any less safe than letting her join them. At least if she was armed, she wouldn't look like such an easy target. "Alright. Let's go get her."


"They're here, boys." As soon as one of the guards lifted his gun to the door, the others followed suit. Steve stopped tormenting the young woman as he turned towards the entrance, letting go of her face only to grab her around the waist and hold her tightly against him. "You managed to keep up then," he greeted the group with a pleasant smile. "Well done."


Syd glanced to Roxie and Peter before taking a few slow steps deeper into the room. He kept his gun hidden for now, hoping to lower the tension in the room. Although the sight of his cousin being roughly manhandled bothered him greatly, he did his best to stay calm. What worried him further was his uncle's unstable mind - he could only imagine how Peter felt in this situation, but hoped that he wouldn't make any reckless moves. "Right, let's not waste any time here," he began. "When we walk out of this shithole, we're taking her with us." Locking eyes with Syd, Steve rested his cheek against Savannah's head almost possessively, reaching up to stroke her hair with his free hand. Syd glowered back at him before briefly glancing to Savannah. It was important, however, to look his enemy in the eye when he spoke to them, so he reset his attention on the man. "So let's get straight to it, shall we? Tell us what the fuck you want."

Interactions
Misty Gray Luke, Savannah
Bellz Peter, Roxie

 

[Bellz]

Peter Callahan
Roxie Carriveau ​

Peter hit his seat hard as Syd sped out of the parking lot. "Truth be told, I wasn't!" He said in response as to what the hell he was thinking by bringing Roxie with them. The woman had helped him and in turn he was going to help keep her alive, for now. Peter didn't have much time to think about his past decisions as a man leaned out of the passenger window in front of them and aimed his gun right at them. The bullets bounced off the glass effortlessly and this mad Peter smirk only slightly. His heart raced in his chest as he rolled down his own window, he was about to send a few shots of his own before Syd mentioned Savannah being in the car. "Fuck!" Peter hissed out before eyeballing his shot once more. If the car didn't take any immediate turns--

Peter was then thrown off as the car made a sudden right into a crowd of people. Roxie could be heard gasping in the back seat, staring in awe at what just happened. She looked to Syd in the mirror before he started to back up into the car behind him, "Don't hurt them!" Roxie demanded, hoping that he wouldn't be as reckless as the people they were chasing. Luckily for everyone involved, he only backed up to make some room before turning down a narrow side street.

"You better not kid, or my foot will be so far up your ass!" Peter growled out as he moved to the passenger window again. Looking out as they got closer and closer to the fuckers and his baby girl, Peter eyeballed another shot before firing at the passenger window only to hit the side view mirror. "I'm gonna fucking kill them! I'm going to slit their fucking throats." Peter kept repeating with conviction as they passed through cars and traffic still keeping a steady eye on them. One of the men popped out the side window and Peter was quick to react but it seemed like it wasn't quick enough as the bullet embedded itself into the door.

They approached the demolition site and both Roxie and Peter started turning their heads looking in all sorts of directions. "This feels like a trap." Roxie suddenly blurted out. The feeling she had in her gut wasn't a good one as they finally came to a stop in front of the entrance. Peter was ready to go in there exactly like Syd said not too, but he held himself back and only gave a stiff nod to the man as he looked into the entrance of the site. He watched as Syd reached into his car before pulling out a gun, "Give me shit when she can be armed eh? Guess we'll have to talk about that later." Peter said a little too menacingly, he didn't mean for it to sound like a threat but it came out that way.

Roxie stared at the gun in Syd's hands hesitantly before reaching out a delicate hand to take it limply in it. "Sure." Roxie murmured before staring down at the gun again. It felt wrong being in this situation and she wasn't sure what she had gotten herself into. Violence wasn't her thing, as an activist for peace, she would have never thought she would be holding a gun like she was now. What if she had to use it? How did she use it? Left to wonder, Roxie immediately followed both Syd and Peter into the site.

Peter didn't lose speed as he approached the sound of his daughter in pain and fear. "Savannah?" Peter called out, his voice deep and echoing from all around. When he entered the room to see the man clutching her face, "I will end your miserable existence you dumb son of a bitch! Don't you fucking touch her!" He roared out in anger before looking to Savannah, "Its okay princess, everything is going to be okay. I'm here." Peter didn't say anything more as as Syd spoke up. Peter's breathing was labored and all he wanted to do was put a bullet in the heads before him.

Roxie was still dumbfounded by the gun in her hand but that all changed when she saw the possessiveness of the man over Savannah. It made her feel queasy and angry all at once. Peter echoed her own thoughts but he said it in a way she could not. The brunette made eyes with her friend and bit her lip, "They hurt you." She said, more as a statement than a question.
with: Syd + Steve Pyroclast ; Luke + Savvy Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

Spoiler: Trigger Warning

Sexual harassment

Savannah Callahan
~ Luke Holland ~​

Savannah had found herself once again in the uncomfortable grip of Steve's arms as he dragged her into the building. There were more men standing guard inside the place, but her attention was mostly focused on the man restraining her. With him no longer masked, Savannah was able to see the face of the man who had dragged her from the stage back at the theatre. Though Steve was an objectively attractive man, Savannah was repulsed by him. He was a cruel and terrifying man, who inner ugliness seeped out onto his physical features. He appeared like a twisted, smiling demon as he refused her pleas to be freed, telling her they hadn't got what they wanted yet. She visibly cringed as he called her "pretty girl", finding what were typically complimentary words merely degrading coming from someone like him. Far more degrading and sickening than in the patronising manner Andre had previously called her pretty.

The man then reached up to grab her face, digging his nails into her cheeks as he pulled her towards him. She let out a pained gasp as his grip caused the the pain of existing wounds once again intensify. Tears streamed down her face as she felt her back collide with the wall behind her. As Steve moved his free hand down to his belt buckle, she was briefly distracted from her pain as she realised what he was doing. His words of her being prettier up close only served to confirm the worries she was having. "No..." she loudly whispered to him in desperation. She tried to look him in the eyes as she fought against his grip to shake her head. She knew Luke had literally held a gun to her head and warned her against resisting Steve again, but her instinct was only telling her to struggle and fight him off.

The guard's announcement of the Porters' arrival came at the right time, preventing Savannah from risking her life to try fighting Steve off and interrupting any sick ideas the man was having. He finally let go of her face, relieving her of the pain he was causing to her cheeks. Still, he grabbed her by the waist, holding her tightly against him as he stood behind her. Despite her expecting the worst to happen, she still felt some relief when she saw Peter enter the room. She loved her father and had been longing for his comforting presence, yet a part of her didn't like him having to see her in her present state. "Dad..." she gasped, looking desperately to her father as he threatened Steve. Syd and Roxie followed the man inside, giving her a little more reassurance. She briefly met Syd's glance before she looked to her friend Roxie, both comforted and scared that her friend had put herself in danger to try help her. Hearing Peter try to reassure her, she looked to him and quickly nodded her head. She sent him an intense look, though one she hoped would tell him how grateful she was and how much she loved him. Hearing Roxie's statement about the men hurting her, Savannah looked back to her friend and bit her bottom lip as she tried to hold back from any confirming sobs. She decided to keep her eyes towards Roxie, worried the state she was in would put Peter and Syd off. She didn't want to make it harder for them to stay calm. She didn't want them to do anything reckless that could get themselves killed on her behalf.

Savannah tensed up and tightly closed her eyes as she felt Steve rest his cheek against her head. When he proceeded to stroke her hair, she could feel herself shaking again. She opened her eyes, but the feeling of humiliation and helplessness meant she could now only look towards the ground. She listened on as the men spoke, leaving her to feel like an object being used to bargain with.

Luke had chosen to stand by as Steve tormented Savannah. Instead, he'd been readying himself and the guards for when the Porters joined them. As long as the young woman remained alive for the purpose of getting what they wanted from the Irish Mob, Luke didn't care about what she suffered along the way. When it was announced the enemy had arrived, a subtle smile crossed Luke's lips. "Wonderful..." he calmly spoke. He look to his right side, where Steve was standing close by. His friend had a firm grasp of Savannah and was ready for their guests.

Peter had been the first to enter, wasting no time in threatening Steve. Luke studied the man and was pleased to find he was the father of their little blonde hostage. Whilst they hadn't been able to get James himself to join them, a desperate father was bound to give them what they wanted. He next looked to Syd, who he knew to be the son of the Mob Boss. Again, his presence was appreciated as Porter's eldest would have the power and knowledge they sought. The only person he was unsure of was Roxie. She clearly cared about Savannah and there was something familiar about her, but he wasn't sure how much she could offer on behalf of the Porters.

"So let's get straight to it, shall we? Tell us what the fuck you want." Syd had commanded Steve.

Luke raised his right arm out to the side, aiming his gun inches from the side of Savannah's head. Having made his point, he calmly lowered his arm again, ready to fire his gun at any of the blonde's loved ones if they tried anything. "Watch your language in front of the ladies," he told Syd. "Ask my friend here - nicely - what we want and I won't put a bullet in Nancy's fucking skull." Given that Steve was the one holding Savannah, Luke believed their demands were more likely to be met coming from him.

Pyroclast (Steve, Syd) Bellz (Roxie, Peter)

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter​

Although Mitch took the weapon from him, James could see how uncomfortable the lawyer was when holding the gun. It wasn't a surprise to him, even if a part of him had hoped the urgency of the situation would bring some adrenaline to the man to make him more accepting of the weapon. As the lawyer spoke up to question the plan, James didn't immediately respond. He walked back to the balcony overlooking the chaos below and assessed his present location. Jumping from the height wasn't an option, so he didn't need to consider that possibility again. He looked back over his shoulder to the door and grunted to himself as he made his decision.

"You and Luce are staying here," he firmly told Mitch. "Move to the corner, stay low and use your chairs to hide behind." He pointed to the corner that would be out of view and reach of any shooters down below. "Kirk, you'll stay with them. I want all three of you vigilant and ready to shoot if anyone manages to get into this box," he ordered. James placed his hand on Lucy's shoulder and placed a soft kiss on her lips. "You'll be okay, love. I know you can do this," he reassured her. He expected Lucy was more confident in such a situation than Mitch, having been through similar in the past. Whilst he wanted to stay with his wife to protect her himself, it felt wrong to leave the rest of their family and employees to fend for themselves. Sitting behind a desk never suited him and hiding away whilst people were being shot at below him felt terribly wrong.

James walked to the door and motioned for Rebel to join him. "We're going to deal with the bastards out on the corridor and get our arses downstairs to help the others. You good with that?" he asked her. Holding the gun in his right hand, he aimed it ready to fire onto the corridor. He placed his left hand on the door knob, turning it before pulling the door open enough to aim through. He saw two men standing a short distance away, ready to shoot. Judging by their initial eye-line, they'd been communicating with one or more others standing at the other side of the door. In the split second he was sure they were going to fire their guns, James fired off three bullets, aiming for the chest of the closest man where two bullet landed in the middle of the enemy's rib-cage. He then wasted no time in slamming the door shut again to shield them from the barrage of bullets that followed.

James tightened his jaw before glancing back to the others. He then looked to Rebel. "We won't just walk out there without being shot to shit," he admitted. The wall he'd told Mitch and Lucy to stay against would render them out of sight if the door was opened. He looked to Rebel and sighed. He quickly reloaded his gun before sending her a decisive nod. "They seem a bit trigger-happy out there, yet not in a rush to barge into here to finish us off. Want to test their impulsiveness?" he quietly asked her. "We open the door, but stay out of view. Let them fire off any immediate bullets then we shoot back at the guys we can see. If that doesn't lure the ones we can't see to come into view, then we get creative, Want to add any better ideas to that?" he asked her. It was an open question, knowing any plan he could come up with would have some risk, but he wasn't prepared to hide out and expect everything to fix itself.


Bellz (Lucy, Rebel) RayPurchase (Mitch)

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd Porter
~ Steve Kelly ~

With tensions high, Syd knew he had to be careful how he approached the situation. Peter was rightfully enraged, but Syd wasn't fully confident in his uncle's ability to keep his emotions under control. He only hoped that the gun in his hand wouldn't be used prematurely. His concern intensified when one of the men aimed his own gun to Savannah's head, and didn't dare make any sudden movements or reactions. Tears streaming down her face, the young woman looked terrified for her life and he could see now that there was more blood on her face than there had been on stage. Roxie was right - whoever these men were, they had hurt her, and that was likely to happen again if they didn't handle this smoothly.

Even after the man angled his gun away from Savannah, he couldn't relax. When he then told him to repeat his demand in a nicer manner, Syd's jaw clenched and he glared at the man, eyes ablaze with frustration. His first instinct would normally be to shout, but he had to remind himself that Savannah's life was on the line. So, swallowing his pride, he turned to the man who held Savannah in his arms and put an obviously forced smile on his face. "Would you please very kindly explain what you want from us in exchange for that woman's safe return?" As soon as the last word escaped him, his smile dropped and the fire returned to his eyes. How he wished he could just shoot the man right there and then.

Steve closed his eyes and drew a deep breath, taking in the scent of Savannah's hair. While the sarcasm didn't go amiss, it still amused him greatly to see the mob boss' son plead to them. He was tempted to ask him again, to really rile him up - but the father of the young woman looked a little unhinged and he didn't want to lose control of the situation. Not when he and Luke were doing so well with their mission. "You sure you want her back already? We were only just getting to know each other," he taunted, hitching Savannah to be even closer to him. Struggling to retain his composure, Syd took a step towards him - but the sound of guns cocking stopped him in his tracks. "You'd wanna watch what you say to me," he warned the man. This was far from the first time he had had multiple guns aimed at him and so while it no longer scared him, he was still very aware that he was in the more vulnerable position in that moment. Nevertheless, he refused to let it affect him. "Quit wasting our time and tell us what you want. Please."

Steve smiled Syd's way. "Well, since you're being so sweet about it, I'll tell you." He had a lock of Savannah's hair wrapped around his fingers and began to unwind it slowly, watching as it formed a loose curl. "We want your suppliers. We want every name, every address, every telephone number." One of the guards lowered his gun and approached Syd with a pen and a notebook. Syd eyed him up in disbelief, taking the items before he had a chance to question it. The same perplexed expression remained on his face as he turned back to Steve and Luke. "You want -"

"That's where the bulk of your money comes from, isn't it? The money that buys you fancy bullet-proof cars and keeps all your businesses afloat?" Steve's eyes flashed hungrily as he thought of those riches passing onto him. "The money from which your power derives." Syd glared at him for a moment, then glanced back to Peter. Was he really about to do this? Was there really no other way to get Savannah back? They were outnumbered six to three - not to mention his uncertainty of whether Roxie knew how to use a gun, or if she even had it in her to shoot somebody. Ultimately, it was the look of terror on Savannah's bloodied, tear-stained face that made his decision for him. With some reluctance, Syd put his head down and began to slowly write the contact details of all their drug suppliers. How this move would affect the mob's business, he would have to sit down with his family and work out later. Right now, his priority was ensuring Savannah's safe return. When he was done, he read the list aloud, leaving out no details just to prove to them that he was indeed giving them what they had asked for. Then, bringing the piece of paper to his chest, he reached out towards Savannah. "Release her. Now."

With a small sigh, Steve ran his fingers through Savannah's hair one last time before bringing his lips to her ear and whispering, "Don't be a stranger, pretty girl..." Then, he shoved her to the ground as hard as he could in the direction of her father and, after brushing himself off, ambled over to Syd. He stood so close to the man that they were almost touching. Syd felt himself stiffen, hating nothing more than to be touched when he was stressed out. However, not wanting to appear at all weak, he refused to take a step back. Maintaining a steady eye contact, Steve lifted the paper from between Syd's fingers and stashed it inside his jacket. "And if you've got any of these details wrong, don't worry...We always know where to find you." He flashed a grin his way before taking a few steps back, ready to see them leave.

"Who are you?" Syd finally asked. Glancing to the guards around the room, all of whom now stood with guns cocked and raised, Steve simply replied, "You'll find out soon enough."

Interactions
Misty Gray Savannah, Luke
Bellz Peter, Roxie

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

While she had begun to hear less and less of the gunshots ringing throughout the theater, she still heard them. It meant these guys, whoever the hell they were, weren't finished and didn't plan on leaving anytime soon. Eventually, Ali would have to reload which meant having to rip her dress to get to the extra round she had on her other thigh. It was unpleasant, hearing one of her favorite dresses get ripped. Gritting her teeth, she moved from cover to shoot again, taking down another masked gunman before ducking back down. "Someone is going to buy me a whole new wardrobe.." She muttered to herself. Keeping an eye on Sinead and Emery, she looked for Warren again, hoping he had finally found them some sort of exit plan. She watched as he disappeared backstage, most likely to find that exit she was looking for.

There was a lot going on in her mind, getting out of there alive being one and cussing out who ever she needed to being the other. If these were the same pricks who had tried blowing them up not too long ago then this would be the second attempt on their lives. Unless she just wasn't told, they had done nothing to get back at them in the same capacity. Maybe it was because James wanted to figure out who they were before making any irrational decisions but whatever the case may be, she was getting sick of it. Every day she wanted out of this life, out of looking over her shoulder every second of her days but she knew it wasn't possible. Even if she did manage to leave it, who's to say it wouldn't find her again? She was delving deeper and deeper and her currently shooting back at the assassins was proof of this. Proof that she was never going to be able to get away from it all. Soon she would have to accept that, but not without having a few words with those causing her and her family so much strife.

Warren's voice brought her back to reality, he had finally found an exit point for them to escape. He had asked if she preferred to lead or cover and she thought for a second. He already knew the route and she wanted to get the girls out of there as fast as she could. "I'll take care of cover, I can handle it." Her eyes looked between Sinead and Emery, landing on the gun she had placed in her nieces in hand. "I'm really hoping you don't have to use that, baby girl, but in the event that you do-" she gently placed her hand on her cheek, giving a small, reassuring smile, "-it'll be okay. Now follow Warren and I'll be right behind you." She looked at Warren and nodded her head, letting him know she was ready.

Warren, Sinead, Emery ( Misty Gray )​

 

[Misty Gray]

Sinead and Emery Callahan
Warren Taylor
​

Emery met Aliana's gaze as the woman seemed about to say something, no doubt related to the gun the teenager was holding. As her aunt placed a reassuring hand on her cheek, Emery nodded along to the woman's words about it being okay if she had to use the weapon. "Yeah, well... They're the ones attacking us, so it's okay..." she reasoned aloud. She quickly nodded her head when told to follow Warren. Sinead had protectively placed herself behind Emery, ensuring her daughter was shielded between her and Warren.

As planned, Warren led the women onto the stage and behind the curtains, all the while the two guards in the box above them providing cover. As they continued to move beyond the curtains and towards the exit, Aliana and Emery would notice a figure emerge behind them. Immediately seeing the mask over the man's face, Emery was ready to fire a bullet at him. She was only stopped by the fact the man felt forward onto the floor behind them, with bullets having already been fired into the back of his neck and skull by one of the guards covering from the box. Sinead had let out a gasp, but was relieved to see the threat had already been taken care of. "Stupid jerks," Emery bitterly hissed. Her features softened as she noticed an injured woman slumped down on the floor, clutching at her bleeding leg.

"Keep moving!" Warren reminded the girl. His first job was to get his family out safely, then he would worry about the others. They soon made it out onto the street, where a number of onlookers had by now gathered. Noticing the police cars pulling up nearby and creating a road block, Warren quickly ushered the three women fully outside. "Ali, stay with Sinead and Emery. Ditch the guns before the cops see them." Warren quickly looked over his shoulder back towards the open doors they'd just escaped through. "Keep safe," he told the three women. "I have to go back inside for the others..." he hastily told them. Not giving the cops chance to get near enough to stop him, Warren sprinted back inside the theatre to find the others who were still inside.

Conor Sullivan​

Having caught up with Rachel and being unable to locate Ryan, Conor decided to take his leave from the pub. As much as he loved the place, he wasn't ready to spend an evening there whilst trying to avoid drinking. Since he'd been released a week ago, he'd found out a tonne of things that made him want to drink!

As he drove through Midtown, Conor soon became aware something was going on and based the the direction the police cars were speeding towards, his gut was telling him to get to the theatre. As he sped through the streets, he was cursing under his breath at the possibility of someone else causing trouble for his family. His profanity didn't stop when he realised he couldn't get his car close enough to the theatre given the police were starting to create roadblocks. Instead, he hastily swerved into the parking lot of a nearby restaurant, parking up his car before sprinting out of the vehicle.

With the front of the building swarming with cops, Conor instead rushed to the back of the building. Though the police were beginning to block the rear of the theatre, Conor was easily able to sneak in between the crowd of onlookers. He heard an officer call for him to get back, but he had three familiar faces in sight which compelled him to ignore the cop. He made a direct beeline for Aliana, Sinead and Emery, who looked uninjured but shook up.

"Shit, what happened?" he asked as Sinead practically fell into his arms. His sister mumbled something about Savannah not coming back but he wasn't sure he'd heard her correctly. He softly rubbed his sister's back before letting Emery take over in consoling the anxious woman.

Conor took a deep breath as he turned to look at Aliana. The distant onlooker comments about gunshots was planting all kinds of scenarios in his head. "Ali...?" he began, but paused as he took a moment to look her over for injuries, but finding none. Suddenly, he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around his wife's shoulders. Whilst he knew most of his family weren't accounted for, he was for now relieved to know Aliana wasn't hurt. Marital fighting or not, he couldn't bear the thought of seeing her hurt. When he pulled away, he kept his hands on Aliana's shoulder and looked her in the eyes, seeing he might get clearer answers from her compared to Sinead. "What happened, Ali? Where is everyone? Where's Savvy?!"


Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana)

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Getting out of the theater was definitely nerve-wracking. There would always the danger of one of them getting hurt and the thought of it scared her. Much more than the sudden death of a gunman falling at their feet. One of the guards up above had protected him and if he got out of there alive, she was going to buy him a drink. Taking a deep breath as they all emerged outside, Ali put her left hand on her hip and wiped her forehead, trying her best to steady her breathing. A small part of her still couldn't believe that they had been through a gunfight. That was definitely something she could now have the unfortunate authority to say she had experienced. Listening to Warren speak, she wanted to grab his arm and tell him to stay with them. But, she knew he wouldn't as long as James and Lucy were still inside. At the moment, only Emery and Sinead were on her mind in terms of safety. Seeing all the flashing lights, she quickly took the gun from her niece and did as Warren instructed, getting rid of them. "We'll get new ones, don't worry."

A sudden voice calling out made her turn around. There was a slight frown on her face, watching him console his sister. She couldn't be upset, right? She shouldn't be upset. They were all involved in a shooting and this wasn't the time nor the place to start arguing about his absence during something like this. When Emery moved to take over, Conor came to ask her what happened. It took a lot out of her not to immediately show anger of him being absent again when she needed him. Instead, she was taken off-guard by his arms wrapping around her shoulders. She wanted to push him away and scream at him, but she gave in and hugged him back. For a while all she wanted was for him to hold her and take her away from this nightmare of a night. When he pulled away she wanted to pull him back but she had to tell him what was going on. Pinching the bridge of her nose, she shook her head. "I don't know, Conor. One second we're all watching Savvy's performance and the next she's being grabbed by some pricks and they're all shooting at us. Syd, Peter and Roxie went after them. While Warren and I got these two out of there. James and Lucy are still inside but Warren just went back in to help them. I don’t know if these are the same guys who tried to blow us up or killed your cousin but I do know it’s pissing me off.” She took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves before looking at him. “You were supposed to be here tonight.”​

 

[Bellz]

Peter Callahan
Roxie Carriveau ​

Peter stiffened at the gun pointed at his daughters head and let out a low hiss, he was going to lose his mind if that man didn't get away from his daughter. Peter looked to Syd once it was explained what these creeps wanted from them and he nodded his head harshly. "Do it, boy." Peter gruffly told his nephew before turning back to face his daughter, who was staring at Roxie. Labored breaths escaped Peter, "I'm going to kill you slowly." Peter growled out under his breath to both of the men, hand on his gun. Steve seemed to move in to breathe in Savannah's hair and Peter took two steps closer, "You better back the fuck up before I snap your neck!" Peter shouted, his words echoing throughout the demolition site in the almost silent room. Peter was ready to lose it, he would be willing to put both Syd and Roxie in danger to get his little girl back and he would die trying.

Peter took another step forward and this time, guns raised but Peter didn't give a damn. "Give her to us." Peter's voice was deadly low and he glowered at everyone in the room. He looked back to Syd who had the notebook and pen in his hands, his expression urged him to hurry. When he was done, Syd urged the men to release Savannah and Peter held out his arms to his daughter. "Come here, princess." His voice was still low, menacing as he called to his daughter, not wanting to show any weaknesses in front of the enemy. Once she was safe in his arms, Peter wrapped them tightly around her and turned away from the scene immediately. Roxie followed suit and gasped slightly at the wounds on her friend. Not saying another word, the woman ripped at the fabric of her long flowing skirt and moved to give Savannah something to dab at her wound with to stop the bleeding. Roxie's own leg was still bleeding and hurt like hell, but she was far too pumped up with adrenaline to care.

"I'll find you." Peter threatened as he began walking the girls out of the site, "You'll be sorry then." Roxie slowed down a bit to fall back in line with Syd, her eyes looking to him as she wondered how bad this all really was for the family. She knew that losing suppliers was a big deal, especially when it came to business but would they be able to recover? Once she was sure they were out of sight, Roxie reached out and took Syd's hand. "You made the right choice." She encouraged him gently. "You saved her."

***​

Peter refused to drop Savannah back off at her home, not even dropping Roxie off, he demanded that Syd drive them back to the house as quickly as possible. He stayed in the back seat with his daughter as Roxie sat in the front. He held her tightly and kissed her forehead as he murmured that everything was going to be okay, although at the moment, it wasn't. Once they made it to the house, Peter refused any help from the guards but sent them to surround the property as to keep watch for any intruders. Walking up to the front door, Peter was still shaking with adrenaline as he unlocked the door and let Savannah and Roxie step inside first. He was sure he was going to hear it for letting Roxie inside their home from Sinny, but at the moment, she was the furthest thing from a threat in his eyes. Both girls were injured and they needed medical attention. Farrid was still at the theater with the rest of the family so Peter took it upon himself to call Finn, urging him to leave George with the kids so that he could come and provide medical attention.
with: Syd +Steve Pyroclast ; Luke + Savvy Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

Savannah Callahan
~ Luke Holland ~​

Savannah listened as Steve answered Syd's question, telling him he wanted the details of the family's suppliers. Whilst she kept herself distanced from the business, she still knew how important the suppliers were to it. Even though she knew she wasn't to blame for her current situation, she still couldn't help but feel guilty about what was happening. Would her family be angry or resentful towards her for losing what seemed like a big deal to them? Despite knowing her biological father was the enemy and when her mother fell pregnant with her she was told to have a termination, she believed her family loved her. She was sure she was worth more to them than any business or any power.

Her eyes looked to Peter as he urged Syd to give the men what they wanted. She let out a slightly relieved breath as she watched her cousin write down the details Steve had demanded. Any relief was soon short-lived as she felt Steve move his face close to her ear. Her skin crawled as he told her not to be a stranger and called her pretty once more - a word that she hoped to never hear again. She heard her father threaten the man, clearly disgusted by his actions like she was.

Suddenly Steve shoved her forward to the floor, causing her to land on her hands and knees. She was almost about to curl up into a defeated heap when she heard Peter's words. 'Come to me, princess.' This caused her to look up at him, gaining confirmation her ordeal was over and Steve wasn't going to continue to torment her. She rushed up to her feet and practically fell into Peter's arms. Feeling his arms tightly wrap around her, she did the same around her father's waist. She closed her eyes as she began to sob, feeling overwhelmed by the whole evening. Not completely conscious of everything going on around her, she blankly accepted the fabric from Roxie and held it to her bleeding cheek.

During the drive home, Peter kept holding Savannah while they sat in the back of the car. Despite the shock, she was grateful for the warmth and security her father was giving her. "I thought they were going to kill me. I though they were going to..." she cried, stopping herself as she buried her face in Peter's chest. "They hurt me," she exhaustedly gasped. As Peter told her everything would be okay, she quickly nodded whilst her face was still pressed into him.


Luke watched as the exchange played out, a smug smile present on his face as he observed Syd write down the names before Savannah was released back to her father. Along with the guards, he watched the Porters leave the building site and the car being driven off into the distance. He then turned to Steve with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "That went fucking perfectly, am I right?" he commented. "Feels good to watch those pricks fall so hard. Drinks are on me tonight, lads!" he announced. He placed a firm hand on Steve's shoulder and sent him a wink. "Blondie was just playing hard to get. Give her time to come running back," he joked.

*****​

It wasn't until the car finally pulled into the Callahans' driveway that Savannah was able to take in the others around her. As Peter helped her out of the car, she moved to Syd and gave him a long, tight hug. "Thank you, Syd. Thank you for choosing me," she said. "For saving me," she clarified. After releasing her cousin, she then gave Roxie a similar embrace. "You came for me. Thank you..." she whispered to her friend. Whilst she had never questioned Roxie's loyalty, she was still taken back by her friend following her and even getting injured in the process.

Once inside her family home, Savannah sat on the sofa, sticking close to Peter's side as they waited for Finn to come over. She used a wet cloth to try cleaning her face but the stinging sensation seemed to bring the ordeal back to the front of her mind. "He hit me," she spoke out, practically feeling Steve's hand colliding with her face again. "They were awful. His words... they make me feel sick," she recalled, covering her mouth with her hand as she suppressed any more cries.

As her eyes briefly landed on the nearby family photographs, she quickly looked around the room, her heart sinking as she recalled the gunshots in the theatre. "Oh God... Where's everyone else? Mum and Emmy?! Auntie Ali?!" she worriedly asked, remembering seeing the three seated together. "Did everyone get out of there?!" she fretted.


Bellz (Peter, Roxie) Pyroclast (Syd, Steve)

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter​

As planned, James stood by the door and listened out onto the corridor. There was no movement, making him even more certain the gunmen weren't in a hurry to barge into the private box and open fire. After biding his time, James pulled the door open and quickly dodged the sudden barrage of bullets sent his way by two of the gunmen. Just as he was about to return fire, he heard the voice of a police officer ordering the men on the corridor to drop their weapons. James quickly pushed the door closed and lowered his weapon, slotting it back into its holster. As much as he'd been prepared to go out on the attack, there wasn't much he could get away with if the cops were on the scene.

"Everyone put your weapons away," James quietly told Lucy and the others. He then held his hand out for Mitch to return the gun to him, figuring the lawyer would prefer not to be seen in possession of the weapon, even if it was registered. He fell silent as he listened to the commotion outside the room as the cops disarmed the gunmen and spoke of arrests. He peered over the balcony, seeing the cops seeming to take control over the scene. Or at least, claiming control after the likes of Farrid and Warren had taken down the majority of the attackers.

The door to the private box opened and James held his hands up above his shoulders to show he wasn't a threat. Two of the cops aimed their guns at him before looking around to see everyone apparently taking cover in the corner of the room. "You took your bloody time," James remarked. "Wankers had us held up in here," he pointed out.

After being questioned by Detective Smithson, with Mitchell at his side whilst he gave only the information he chose to, James was finally able to step outside. There, he found Sinead, Conor, Aliana and Emery. After one of his guards arrived on the scene to inform him Savannah had been found and taken home, he decided it was time everyone got well away from the theatre.

James drove to the Callahans' place with Lucy in the front passenger seat, whilst Sinead and Emery were seated in the back. As he parked on in the driveway, James noticed Syd's car, which had clearly been used for target practice with someone's gun. He stepped out of the vehicle and placed his arm around Lucy's waist just as he saw Syd stepping outside...


Bellz (Lucy, Rebel) RayPurchase (Mitch)
((I'll give Bella/Pyro time to post Peter/Roxie/Syd before I do any Sinny/Emery posts))

Conor Sullivan​

As Aliana explained that Savannah had been grabbed, Conor's heart sank. It already felt like history repeating itself, with the innocent members of his family being dragged into the dark side of the business. Like her mother before her, Savannah had been targeted whilst innocently doing what she most enjoyed. He tightened his jaw at the thought and as it did sink in, he was then overcome with worry. "Who the fuck would harm her? Where is she now?" he worriedly asked. Hearing the others were shot at and that his sister was still inside, Conor briefly covered his eyes with his hand as he held it to his forehead. "Shit. Shit..." he mumbled. His family were being targeted and he wasn't sure if he could relive it all again. Dublin. Chicago...

When Aliana pointed out he should have been there, he pulled his hand away from his face and looked straight at her. "You're right. I should. I had no idea this would happen, but I wish I'd been here," he replied, taking a deep breath as he steadied his voice. "I thought I was doing what was best by getting on top of my businesses and catching up with my staff. I was being responsible. But yeah, I somehow fucked up again and I wasn't here for my family," he agreed, albeit in a frustrated manner. It felt like no matter what he did, it was the wrong thing. "I though the night would run smoother without me here to spoil it for you," he admitted.

Turning his attention back to what was going on, he scanned the building, seeing the police had sealed off the entrances so he couldn't sneak inside. "Why isn't Luce out yet?" he anxiously asked.

When James eventually emerged from the building with the others, it was agreed that Conor and Aliana would head to the Porters' house to pick Leo up. On their way, they would drop Mitch off at his place. Conor walked Aliana and Mitch to his car. They'd had some relief upon hearing Savannah had been found and taken home. "Are you good, Mitch?" he asked the lawyer. "Sorry your trip to the theatre didn't goes as planned." He unlocked the car and got into the driver's side. "You're going to have to direct me to your place," he told the lawyer.


Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana) RayPurchase (Mitch)


((Warren would stick with Farrid, if needed))
((Figured I'd end the theatre scene as it's mostly only me posting in it))